Kissmas Wishes (Love In All Seasons 3)

He laughs though. “Okay, so you are a woman who speaks her mind. I like it.” Then he looks me over. “For the record, my dad called you bridezilla. But I don’t see it.”

I swallow. “No?”

“Nah,” he laughs. “More like the bride of Frankenstein.”

“Haha,” I deadpan, sticking a hand on my hip. “That’s fun and all, but you’re here to work, not joke around.”

He shakes his head. “Is that what this was?”

“What would call it?”

His eyes crinkle in the corners. “Flirting?”

I roll mine. “Name calling isn’t flirting.”

He nods. “I see that, so what you need is a pet name? Is that it?”

“I don’t need anything from you.”

He reaches for the belt around his waist that is wielding a hammer. “Except my tools.”

I swallow, there is that dry throat again. Why does his hammer get me so flustered? Oh, probably because it’s been more than a long time since I’ve held one.

We’re talking years.

“To build the arbor?” he adds, grinning like he is reading my mind.

“Right. The arbor.”

I turn on my heels, with him following. I am just going to show him the location of where the wedding vows will be made and hightail it out of here. I’m freezing cold and as nice as it sounds, I’m guessing this man -- this father — isn’t going to be the one warming me up anytime soon.BrooksI follow her to the spot where she wants the arbor, but I can’t focus on the scenery or the views. My eyes? They are on her. She made me smile at the bakery, but now, her sassy little attitude has me all spun up.

She is more than a sugar cookie, she’s a salted caramel tease and I like it. I want it.

Shaking my head, I try to focus on anything but her cute little butt. Damn, it’s been so long.

“So, what do you think?” she asks, her arms spread wide. “This is the spot.”

“Right here?” I ask, cocking one eyebrow. “This exact spot?”

“Yes. Right here.” She points with her toe to a spot on the snow.

“It’s gonna be tricky,” I say, accessing the ground. “It’s not even, and it makes more sense to build it closer in, I mean, this cliff is no joke.” My eyes peer over the massive edge.

“No, it has to be here,” she insists.

“Because it’s what Sophia wants?” I roll my eyes. “And what’s the groom think?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. James is…” She exhales, waving a hand in the air. Her lips are pink, her eyes are blue and her cheeks so rosy she looks like a toy doll.

Just then, another car pulls up the parking lot and Noelle and I turn to see who is there.

“Oh,” her face lights up. “Well, you can ask them what they think yourself. They’re here.”

A couple walks toward us. Noelle waves and calls out for Sophia and I try to make heads and tails about this arrangement. I’ve never been married myself, but I think it’s pretty unusual for a bride to hand off her wedding to her friend.

“I didn’t think you were coming out until tomorrow morning,” Noelle says giving Sophia a hug. “It’s’ so good to see you though. There were a ton of last-minute things to decide.”

Sophia lifts her eyebrows and even though I don’t know her at all, her smile seems forced. “Well, James and I both got off work a few days early, and so there was no reason to wait.” She rolls her eyes. “And James insisted.”

The man next to her, wearing a polished pair of loafers and a fancy wool coat — looking utterly out of place here, scowls. “It’s a little rude to make Noelle do all the work, Sophia. God.” His jaw is tight, and the pair looks like they are ready to claw one another’s eyes out.

“Well,” Noelle says, clapping her hands and turning their attention to me. “This is Brooks. He’s building the arbor… and we were just talking about where it should go.”

“Whatever you think,” James says, pulling out his phone. “Dammit, why is there no reception out here? I have clients to speak with. And email to check.”

I snort, refusing to engage with that douchebag. “Like I said, Noelle. The edge of the cliff will make it tricky.”

“What do you think Sophia?” Noelle asks the bride. “Martin, the park director, says it might be too hard to have the ceremony up here anyway because there is not adequate parking.”

Sophia blows air out of her cheeks. “Do we have to decide like right now?”

Noelle bites her bottom lip and I can tell she is holding back. “Well, the thing is, the wedding is in a few days. And I know you have deferred to me on a bunch of it since you’ve been in Seattle… but it’s your wedding Sophia. What do you want? The ceremony here on the mountain or in the lodge where the reception is going to be held?”